Mustafa's security staff, domestic help to be grilled by SIT
Panchkula, Oct. 27 -- The special investigation team (SIT) of Panchkula police will on Monday question the security staff and domestic help deployed at the Sector 4, Mansa Devi Complex, residence of former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Mohammad Mustafa, as part of its ongoing probe into thedeath of his 35-year-old son, Aqil Akhtar.
A senior SIT officer told HT that the family members had not been called for questioning yet, as the initial focus was on gathering information. "We have summoned the security personnel and servants posted at the house for questioning. The family will be called when required," the officer said.
The SIT is awaiting the viscera report before drawing any conclusions about the cause of Aqil's death. Investigators are also awaiting forensic examination results of the substance recovered from the deceased's room, two old mobile phones and a diary for handwriting verification.
The deceased's mobile phone, which was initially in the family's custody, is expected to be retrieved by police for data extraction. The SIT clarified that it had not taken possession of the device till late Sunday evening. The last two videos purportedly made by Aqil were reportedly recorded on this phone.
Earlier, the district police had registered a case on October 20 against Mohammad Mustafa, his wife and former MLA Razia Sultana, their daughter and daughter-in-law, based on a complaint by Shamshudeen Chaudhary from Malerkotla. The FIR was filed under Sections 103 (1) (murder) and 61 (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Given the sensitivity and inter-state nature of the case, the Haryana government has recommended to the Union ministry of home affairs thatthe investigation be handed over to the Central Bureao of Investigation.
According to official sources, the decision was taken in view of the serious allegations mentioned in the FIR and the involvement of multiple jurisdictions.
Complainant Shamshudeen Chaudhary claimed that on October 3, Aqil had posted a photograph of his diary on social media with a note stating, "In case I die, this diary should be treated as my dying declaration and I should be checked for aluminium phosphide poisoning."
Chaudhary also presented a video grab of the diary and an August 27 video during a press conference in Panchkula on October 18, demanding a fair and impartial probe.
Aqil Akhtar was found unconscious at his residence on October 16 and was taken to the civil hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Following the post-mortem examination, the family transported his body to Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, the next day for last rites....
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